On Tuesday the president of the largest union for teachers in Oklahoma gave lawmakers an April 1 deadline to approve pay raises for some of the lowest-paid educators in the country. This or the state will face a shutdown of public schools.

The move came a day after teachers in West Virginia ended a nine-day strike that closed schools statewide. The strike ended after officials approved a 5 percent pay raise for all state workers.

Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association, said the union was putting Oklahoma lawmakers on notice.